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College Football Today
College Football Today is a SportsChannel show covering college football. Beginning more-or-less as an analysis of college football games, the show would undergo a radical transformation beginning in 1993 as the show began incorporating "LIVE" broadcasts. College Football Today began it's 23rd season on September 5th, 2009. The show ended that season in Pasadena, California, site of the 2010 Citi BCS National Championship Game on January 7th, 2010 History In 1993, College Football Today began broadcasting LIVE from outside a stadium hosting a game most Saturdays. The selected stadium is usually hosting 1 of the biggest matchups of the day, regardless of whether the game airs on an SC network. The 1st show "on the road" took place @ South Bend, Indiana for the match up between #2 Notre Dame & #1 FSU. The show takes on a festive tailgate party atmosphere, as thousands of fans gather behind the broadcast set, in view of the show's cameras. Many fans bring flags or hand-painted signs as well & the school's cheerleaders & mascots often join in the celebration. Crowds @ Football Today tapings are known to be quite boisterous & very spirited. Flags seen @ the broadcast are not limited to those of the home team; for example, 1 large Washington State flag can be seen @ every broadcast, regardless of the location or the teams involved. The idea began in 2003 on WSU online fan forums & has resulted in the flag being present @ over 80 consecutive Football Today broadcasts. Typically, the show will end with the analysts issuing their predictions for that day's key matchups, finishing with the game to be played @ the stadium hosting Football Today. Starting with the 2009 season, a celebrity guest picker will give picks for the day's key games alongside the Football Today regulars. Prior to 2009, this was not done on a regular basis. In past years, when no suitably important game is available, it will originate instead from the SC studios. Beginning with the show's 21st season (2007), College Football Today began broadcasting in HD on SC-HD Locations All game-time rankings are SC/The American (Coaches Poll). If a listing is blank, that week's show originated @ the SC studios. Ohio State has hosted 12 College Football Today broadcasts. Ohio State's record is 9-3, with losses to Penn State, Texas & Southern California. Florida has hosted 11 College GameDay shows (7-4). Michigan (9; 7-2) is 3rd. The Gators have appeared in the on-site game the most times (32, winning 21). Ohio State (26) is 2nd in on-site appearances. Florida vs. Florida State has been the most-covered matchup, being covered 8 times: 5 times in Gainesville, twice in Tallahassee & once in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl. Through the end of the 2009-2010 basketball & football seasons, 17 schools (Boston College, Clemson, Florida, Kansas State, Kentucky, LSU, Michigan State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Texas, UCLA & Wisconsin) have hosted College Football Today for football events & College Basketball Today for basketball events Notable editions *August 27th, 2000: The BCA Kickoff Classic was canceled due to severe weather *November 3rd, 2001: The 1st time Football Today went to a non-BCS conference venue (Army @ Air Force, with a post-9/11 feel) *November 16th, 2002 marked the 1st time Football Today was broadcast LIVE from an Ivy League school as Harvard played @ Penn *September 27th, 2003: At West Point, where most of the broadcast was suspended due to lightning *October 4th, 2003: Football Today's visit to Texas for the Kansas State–Texas game marks the 1st appearance of the "Coug Flag", as Washington State fans begin their ongoing tradition of flying a school flag @ every Football Today broadcast *November 20th, 2004: Football Today came to Utah to watch the Utes become the 1st ever BCS Buster *November 26th, 2005 marked the 1st time that Football Today was LIVE from a game involving 2 historically black colleges & universities (HBCU's) as Southern University played Grambling in the Bayou Classic in Houston (the game was moved from New Orleans to Houston due to Hurricane Katrina) *September 1st, 2007: Football Today came to Virginia Tech 4 & a 1/2 months after the April 16 murders @ the school *November 10th, 2007 marked the 1st time that Football Today was LIVE from a Div. III location as Amherst played @ Williams *On August 30th 2008, the largest crowd ever to show up for the College Football Today telecast was where nearly 20,000 packed Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta for the Alabama vs. Clemson matchup *The November 15th, 2008 broadcast @ Florida A&M was the 1st time Football Today originated from an HBCU *October 3rd, 2009: Football Today was @ the Florida State vs. Boston College game to pay tribute to Mark Herzlich, a BC player who was diagnosed with cancer *November 7th, 2009 paid tribute to the troops by attending the Army-Air Force game Segments *'By the Numbers': This segment appears twice in the show, when they examine various number of games by the numbers *'The GameChanger': At the end of the show, the host & the analysts all pick a player that they think will have a game changing performance *'The Saturday Picks': This is the most famous segment of College Football Today, when the analysts make their predictions on the top games in college football which also includes the game @ which Football Today is present *'Speed Drills': In this segment, the host throws about 6 or 7 questions at the analysts to answer in 60 or 90 seconds *'Spirit Meter': This segment, which was taken from College Basketball Today, looks to see how loud the crowd behind them really is. In it's short existence on the football version, the loudest so far has been @ Autzen Stadium in Eugene, OR set on November 3rd, 2007 @ 127.2 dB *'Upset ALERT': This is @ the end of each hour when the analysts can predict an upset to happen in a BIG game *'What 2 Watch 4': This appears twice throughout the program, when they run down all of the BIG games & examine them External links